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Open Faced Barbeque Sauced Burgers

March 21, 2014

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Every Friday night for the whole of my childhood my mom served hot dogs for supper. She made fabulous hot dogs. We loved them. She had a waffle iron/grill which she never ever used for waffles. It only ever got used for hotdogs. She would split the weiners and fold them open like a book. The buttered buns got grilled first, next the frankfurters . . . until they were golden brown and crisp on the edges. Soooo good. Everyone we knew clambered to be invited to our house for Hot Dog Night!!

You always knew what day of the week it was by what my mother was cooking for our tea. Friday's hotdogs, Saturdays baked beans, Sunday was a roast or some sort or steak, Monday leftovers from Sunday, and so it went on through the week . . . until hotdog night rolled around again.

I hate, Hate, HATED burger night! Yuck. My mom could not cook burgers. She always bought really cheap mince and so they were full of gristle and even sometimes bits of bone. If any of that touched my teeth that was it, I was gagging. She also over-cooked them, so that they were more like hocky pucks than burgers and they were largely unflavoured. Sorry mom, but it's true. Your burgers were blah . . . (it's ok, you can't be good at everything!)

It was years before I could go near a burger with anything closely resembling anticipation and positivity! Happily I can do them now . . . but with a few rules in place. Never cheap mince. Only good quality meat is used. Hereford beef is great. Always with a bit of something added for flavouring. Never over-cooked.

Burgers don't have to be boring and dull. They can actually be quite exciting. I can promise you nobody will be turning their noses up at these tasty bun enhancers! Meaty, moist, stogged full of cheese, onion and garlic . . . delightfully barbeque sauced and serves up on crisp buttery garlic toast. What's not to like about that??? This be knife and fork food, family and man pleasing to the hilt.

With
a pack of lean ground beef and just a few store cupboard ingredients
you can have a tasty meal that will have your family licking their chops
in no time at all. These are knife and fork burgers. Once you have all
of the components sorted they go together very quickly.I serve these with some salad and oven chips for a complete meal.

For the Burgers:1 medium onion, peeled and grated

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

180g of cheddar cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups), divided

(If you want a bit of spice you can use some pepper jack)

1 1/2 pounds lean steak mince

For the sauce:

1 cup of tomato ketchup

1/2 cup water

1 heaped TBS of dark soft light brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp brown sauce (steak sauce)

1/2 tsp hot English Mustard

1 TBS cider vinegar

For the garlic Toast:

6 thick slices of white bread, cut into ovals

(Use the trimmings to feed the birds or make into bread crumbs and freeze)

4 TBS softened butter

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 TBS parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

Mix
together all of the burger ingredients reserving 60g of cheese (1/2
cup) for later on. Shape into 6 oval shaped flat patties. Set
aside. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside. Cream
together the butter, garlic, parsley flakes, cheese and pepper for the
toast. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Spray with a bit of non stick cooking spray and add your meat patties.
Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, browning them
nicely until they are as done as you prefer them. Remove and keep
warm. Pour the sauce ingredients into tha pan. Bring to the boil and
cook, stirring for several minutes, or until it thickens somewhat.
Return the meat patties to the pan, turning them to coat them in the
sauce. Cook, turning occasionally, while you make the garlic toast.

Heat
the grill. Spread each piece of bread on one side with the garlic
butter. Toast buttered side up under the grill until golden, flip over
and toast until golden on the other side. Keep warm.

Sprinkle
the sauced patties with the remainder of the cheese. Let it melt.
Place one toast round, garlic butter side up on each of six plates.
Top with a bit of sauce and a sauced pattie, keeping the cheese
intact. Serve immediately.

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About Me

Marie Rayner

Canadian ex pat deliciously living and cooking in the UK. I cook and eat every day. I like to take pictures of it and then share it with you!

How I got Here

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 17 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Contact Me

If you have any questions or want to work with me, feel free to e-mail me at mariealicejoan@aol.com

Colour me Chuffed

Thank You

TWEET

Did You Know???

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.